Craig Robertson

The seasons of the Ravens (5-11) and Cleveland Browns (3-10) have been over for weeks. The Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) lost in the AFC wild-card round for a fifth straight year. The Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) were eliminated Sunday in a divisional round loss to the Denver Broncos.

Every team in the AFC North is now in position to look ahead and start focusing on next year. That means the draft and free agency and the annual departure of players.

This is nothing new for the Ravens who lose several key players every year. This offseason, however, they won’t be alone. In fact, the Ravens’ two biggest division rivals could get hit hard in free agency. ...

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The seasons of the Ravens (5-11) and Cleveland Browns (3-10) have been over for weeks. The Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) lost in the AFC wild-card round for a fifth straight year. The Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) were eliminated Sunday in a divisional round...

Here's three key matchups in the Ravens' game against the Cleveland Browns on Monday at FirstEnergy Stadium:
Browns TE Gary Barnidge vs. Ravens S's Will Hill and Kendrick Lewis: Barnidge is tied for the team lead with 48 receptions, and has 667 receiving...

While Ravens coach John Harbaugh had said in a television interview last week that Steve Smith Sr. wouldn’t play Sunday against the Cleveland Browns and offensive coordinator Marc Trestman reiterated that Thursday, the veteran receiver was officially...

Offense in the NFL is all about identifying mismatches and exploiting them, something the New England Patriots were able to do on a weekly basis when they had tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.
Gronkowski was an in-line monster for the...

During the Ravens' third consecutive loss Sunday, the Cleveland Browns sacked quarterback Joe Flacco five times.
That tied a season-high, matched by the five times Flacco was sacked in a loss to the Green Bay Packers, and reversed a recent trend in which...

Each week, Baltimore Sun reporters Aaron Wilson and Matt Vensel will look back at the Ravens’ previous game and that of their next opponent.
Ravens 23, Browns 16
Strategy: The Ravens’ no-huddle remained in vogue. It was employed on 49 of 77 snaps to...

Entering Thursday night's game, the Ravens led the NFL with 19 completions of 20 or more yards. They added five more against the Browns, giving them 24 in four games. That total is eight more than the Carolina Panthers, who are second in the NFL with...

The North remembers.
That was the message from Minnesota media after the Eagles spoiled the Vikings’ chance to play in the Super Bowl in its hometown.
More to the point, after certain Eagles fans apparently outdid themselves in acting boorishly toward...

For Saints coach Sean Payton and his players, it's a bit of a stretch to call their return to Minnesota a rematch. Sixteen games have passed since Week 1, when the Saints needed a late, inconsequential touchdown just to reduce the Vikings' victory...

Mark Ingram gave the Saints much more than the first-down run they needed to wind down the clock on the Jets. His determined burst across the line of scrimmage thrust him into New York's defensive backfield with too much speed and vigor for anyone to...

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Mark Ingram gave the Saints much more than the first-down run they needed to wind down the clock on the Jets.
His determined burst across the line of scrimmage thrust him into New York's defensive backfield with too much speed and vigor...

The progression of rookie Mitch Trubisky is going to expose him to nearly everything a quarterback can face in the NFL. In Sunday's 20-12 loss to the Saints it was heavy pressure.
The Bears won't always face a defense as aggressive as the one Dennis...

David Carr hit Seth Roberts for a 10-yard touchdown with 47 seconds left, then connected with Michael Crabtree on a two-point conversion, and the Oakland Raiders pulled out a season-opening 35-34 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
The...

CINCINNATI -- Terrance West rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown, and a swarming Browns defense allowed just 165 total yards, as Cleveland rolled to a 24-3 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night at Paul Brown Stadium.
Cleveland (6-3)...